Archer Push-up

How to perform it

1. 1Preparation and positioning. Use a non-slip surface or stable handles. Place the hands and feet so the prescribed body line and range can be repeated without the equipment shifting. Place the hands wider than the standard and choose whether the non-working arm remains straight or lightly bent.
2. 2Starting position. Set the hands and feet in the prescribed relationship, extend the elbows, and stack the ribcage over the pelvis. Set the shoulders and pelvis square enough to resist rotation while the hands support different amounts of load.
3. 3Eccentric phase. Lower the body as one coordinated unit through the defined elbow and shoulder path. Allow normal scapular movement without collapsing or creating depth through the lower back.
4. 4Bottom position. Reach the fixed depth marker without bouncing, twisting, or losing hand contact. Use only the range that can be reversed under control.
5. 5Concentric phase / lockout. Press the support away and return to the prescribed lockout or top position. Press primarily through the working side while the opposite arm contributes only according to the declared standard.
6. 6Breathing and bracing. Inhale during the descent as appropriate, maintain moderate trunk and glute tension, and exhale through the press or landing preparation.
7. 7Valid rep. A valid repetition uses the stated hand position, depth, body line, and assistance standard from start to finish. The side, hand position, and contribution of the assisting arm are defined and repeatable.

Common mistakes

• Sagging or piking

  Fix: Stack the ribcage over the pelvis and reduce the difficulty before the trunk becomes the limiter.

• Elbows escaping

  Fix: Choose a repeatable elbow path that keeps the shoulders controlled rather than forcing a universal angle.

• Bouncing the bottom

  Fix: Lower to a fixed marker and reverse without rebound.

• Letting the assisting arm collapse

  Fix: Use an uneven or elevated regression until the loading split is controlled.

Safety

• Asymmetrical pressing increases anti-rotation and one-sided shoulder demand; direct long-term evidence for this named variant is limited.
• Choose a setup, load, assistance level, and exit strategy that allow the defined standard to be maintained; do not train through acute, sharp, electric, or worsening symptoms.

Progressions & alternatives

• regressionUneven Push-up— Use a smaller loading asymmetry before widening the hand path.
• progressionOne-arm Push-up— Progress only when the working side controls the full range without trunk rotation.
• alternativeTypewriter Push-up— Use lateral travel with a different low-position standard.
• prerequisiteOne-arm Push-up— A strong archer is one possible preparation, not a universal prerequisite.